Improvement in needle-cases



T. FLETCHER Nedle-Case.

No. 208,676. Patented Oct. 8,1878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

V THOMAS FLETCHER, OF REDDITOH, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY CLARKE, OF

' LONDON, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN NEEDLE-CA SES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,676, dated October R, H78; application filed August 3, 1878 patented in England, February 16, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS FLETCHER, of Redditch in the county of Worcester, England, Great Britain, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Needle-Gases, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawing.

My invention consists of the following improvements in cases for holding needles, knitting-pins, and similar smooth metallic objects, whereby one of the said needles may be removed with facility from the case.

Figure l of the drawings is a sectional view of my improved needle-case Fig. 2, a plan of a cover for the same; Fig. 3, a front view of another style of cover, Fig. 4, a front view of a cylindrical needle-case; Fig. 5, a transverse section of its body; Fig. 6, a plan of the cap or cover closed; Fig. 7, a side View of the case shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 8, a plan of the cap closed. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 relate to a needlecase provided with a partition and a cap at each end, Fig. 9 showing a side view of the case complete; Fig. 10, a view of the partition detached, and Fig. ll a tranverse section of the body of the case.

The transverse section of my needle-case may be round, oval, or of any convenient shape, and its length to correspond with the needles it is to contain; and my improvement consists in forming an interior groove or channel in the side of the case, and providing the case with a cap or cover at one or both ends, which will allow the passage of a single needle from the groove while the body of the case remains closed. To effect this latter object, I construct the cap with a slide, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or arrange the whole cap to rotate upon the end of the case, and construct it with a pro- 3' ectin g flange, which may be only large enough to cover the end of the groove, as in Figs. 6 and 8, or continuous around the whole cap, and furnished with a notch to be turned over the end of the groove when removing a needle.

In the figures, a is the body of the case; p, the closed end, covered in any convenient manner; c, the groove or interior channel; 02, the cap; 0, the lip for covering the end of the groove 5 f, the slide for retracting the lip shown in Fig. 1; g, the ears attaching the slide to the lip; 71, the slot in the cover for the ears g; 1', the teat or projection on the body a, for retaining the cap (Z in place when made to rotate on the end of the case; j, the flange of the cap; it, the notch in the flange for the end of the groove 0; and I, the bayonet lock or catch, engaging with the teat t to retain the cap on the case. an is the tongue of the catch, which restricts the movement of the cap (I when turned far enough to uncover the end of the groove 0. a is the hinge formed on the cap, (shown in Fig. 1,) for opening the case to insert the needles. 0 is a notch formed in the fixed cover 12, to fit around the closed end of the groove 0, as shown in Fig. 4. q is the closed end of the groove; (shown in Figs 1 and 9;) r, the flange on the fixed cover in Fig 1; and s, the partition, arranged in the case. (Shown in Figs. 9 to 11.) i

As shown in Fig. 1, the case is constructed with the groove 0, extending from the open end of the case nearly to the other, where the metal covering the groove is drawn in toward the body, so that the fixed cover 1) can be formed of the same shape as the body a, and held thereon by a flange, r, indented at intervals, to secure it in the manner common in such constructions.

In this mode of construction (seen also in Fig. 9) the body of the case requires to be somewhat longer than the groove or its contained needle; but in Figs. 4 and 7 the groove (to which and to its metallic covering the letter 0 refers indifferently) is shown of the same length as the case a, and the cover 12 is provided with a notch, o, in its flange r, to embrace the same.

If preferred, the groove may be made of the same open shape at both ends, and the cover 19 constructed to close one end permanently.

When the case is provided with a slide for uncovering the end of the groove, as in'Fig. 1, the cover dmay be hinged to admit the needles to the interior of the case, or made solid, and the cover 12 be removable. To retain the cover (I on the case when made without the slide, I form. a notch, 7c, in the flange of the cover, shape the flange at one side of the notch like a bayonet-lock, l, and form a teat, t", on the case, near the open end of the groove, to enter the notch l, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 9.

The notch k is wide enough to permit the rotation of the cover 11 upon the case to uncover the end of the groove 0, and the cap presents the appearance shown in Figs. 4, 7, and 8 when the cover is thus rotated, the catch m engaging with the teat 1' at the same time, and checking the motion of the cap when it strikes the side of the groove.

The cap may be removed for inserting the needles in the case by turning the lip 0 over the end of the groove, when the catch in will clear the teat i, and the cap maybe withdrawn. The elasticity of the flange j will aid in keeping the cap on the case when the groove is closed; or the case may be split longitudinally at b, Fig. 5, on the side opposite the groove, and sprung open a little when not covered by the cap. The body of the case will thus press outward when encircled by the flange j, and keep the cap d in its desired position.

Whatever style of cap may be used, the case is designed to be held with the groove downward, so that a single needle from the store or bulk of needles in the case may fall into and fill the groove in the side thereof. By partly rotating the cover the end of the groove will be exposed, so that the needle will slip out of the case when the same is slightly inclined. In this way the entire store of needles may be removed from the case one at a time, as desired.

A double chamber may be formed by inserting a partition, 8, in a cylindrical case, and providing a suitable cover, like that shown in Figs. 1 and 4, to uncover the groove 0 formed in each chamber. One method of securing the partition in place is shown in Fig. 9, where slots t areformed in two opposite sides of the easea.

By notching down the two ends of the partition it is made narrow enough at the ends to fit inside the case a, while the remainder ot the partition between the notches 1; projects through the slots t in the wall of the case. The ends u extend toward the cover inside each end of the case, and, the whole partition being inserted before the case is made into the finished shape, it is secured in position by the bending of the body into the curve or circle desired.

The sin gle and double cases described above may be grouped and secured together in any desired manner, and form compound cases.

From the above description it will be seen that the radical feature of my invention is the groove formed in the side of the needle-case, and that the needles may be removed from the case with the aid of the groove by any suitable device for covering and uncovering the end of the groove.

1 do not limit myself to any special mode of constructing the case or its cover; but

I claim the case and its groove, however applied, as follows:

The combination of a needle-case, a, provided with the groove 0, and a cover arranged and operated to close and open the end of the groove, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have subscribed my name hereto in the presence of two witnesses.

THOS. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

J. BRAME, (HARLES JENNENS. 

